TULASI (Seed)
Tulasi consists of seeds of Ocimum sanctum Linn. (Fam. Lamiacem), an erect, branched, annual herb, found throughout the country, and also cultivated
SYNONYMS
Sanskrit : Surasa, Surasa, Bahumaniri, Bhutaghn
Assamese : Tulasi
Bengali : Tulasi
English : Holi Basil, Sacred Basil
Gujrati : Tulsi, Tulasi
Hindi : Tulasi
Kannada : Tulasi, Sri tulasi
Kashmiri : Tulasi
Malayalam : Tulasi
Marathi : Tulasi
Oriya : —
Punjabi : Tulasi
Tamil : Tulasi, Thulasi, Thiruthazhai
Telugu : Tulasi, Manchi Tulasi, Nalla Tulasi
Urdu : Tulsi
DESCRIPTION
a) Macroscopic
Seeds round to oval, about 0.1 cm long, brown with mucilaginous outer covering, slightly notched at the tip and broadly rounded at the base; no odour; taste, pungent, and slightly mucilaginous.
Powder – Brown; shows groups of polygonal, thick-walled, epidermal cells, 28 to 55 n in size; oval to polygonal, parenchymatous cells containing oil globules and starch grains simple as well as compound, having 2 to 5 components, single grains measuring 3 to 17 n in dia. Swelling Index- Not less than 5, when determinied as follows: Introduce the accurately weighed seeds into a 25 ml glass stoppered measuring cylinder. The length of the graduated portion of the cylinder should be 125 mm; the internal diameter 16 mm subdivided in 0.2 ml and marked from 0 to 25 ml in up wards direction. Add 25 ml of water, and shake the mixture thoroughly at intervals of every 10 minutes for 1 hour. Allow to stand for 3 hours at room temperature. Measure the volume in ml occupied by the seeds, including any sticky mucilage. Carry out simultaneously not less than 3 determination and calculate the mean value of the individual determinations, related to 1 g of seeds.
IDENTITY, PURITY AND STRENGTH
Foreign matter Not more than 2 per cent, Appendix 2.2.2.
Total Ash Not more than 8 per cent, Appendix 2.2.3.
Acid-insoluble ash Not more than 2 per cent, Appendix 2.2.4.
Alcohol-soluble extractive Not less than 4 per cent, Appendix 2.2.6.
T.L.C.
T.L.C. of alcoholic extract on Silica gel ‘G’ plate using Toluene: Ethylacetate (9:1) as mobile phase shows under U.V. (366 nm) three fluorescent zones at Rf. 0.36, 0.56 (both red) and 0.93 (blue). On spraying with Vanillin-Sulphuric acid reagent and heating the plate for about ten minutes at 110oC five spots appear at Rf. 0.04, 0.23, 0.36, 0.70 and 0.93 (all violet).
CONSTITUENTS – Fixed Oil and Mucilage
PROPERTIES AND ACTION
Rasa : Katu, Tikta, Kasaya
Guna : Laghu, Ruksa, Tiksna
Virya : Usna
Vipaka : Katu
Karma : Dahakrta, Vranasodhaka, Hrdya, Krmighna, Kaphahara, Pittahara, Vatahara, Rucikrt, Dipana, Visahara
IMPORTANT FORMULATIONS – Muktadi Mahanjanasa
THERAPEUTIC USES – Sopha, Aruci, Hikka, Kasa, Krmi, Kustha, Mutrakrcchra, Pratisyaya, Svasa, Parsvasula, Putigandha, Garavisa, Rakta Vikara, Jantuvisa, Bhutaroga
DOSE – 1-2 gm of the seed in powder form.
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